Germany troll everyone by opening the scoring in the first minute of extra time, and then again in the last. And then conceding another goal just for kicks to make everyone who went to bed feel like they missed out.

17.00 Argentina - Switzerland

21.00 Belgium - USA

Might try and start an official boycott of extra-time in the late kick off. Take that, sponsors!

But Manuel Neuer: Action Hero was probably my favourite thing about yesterday's game. Knowing that as soon as the ball bounced past Mertesacker in his own half that Neuer was already barrelling out to scythe down some unsuspecting Algerian was great fun.

Imagine he'll have a Casillas-esque career collapse at some stage but it's fun while it lasts.

I'm hypersensitive about Ozil - some of his touches and interplay were ludicrously high-spec, but he has a habit of making crap passes/touches at really noticeable moments and then looking exhausted and sad straight after. But I noticed all the rest of the midfield giving the ball away just as much and somehow not having it pointed out.

there's no-one outside of the Emirates who's as big a fan of the lad as me. I think he's wonderful. For the reasons you point out (fucking love subtle brilliance). I even had him in my Fantasy Team ALL SEASON including for the last third of the season when he was haemorraghing points. But last night he was notably ineffective in a surprisingly poor team. No getting away from it.

I had a decent win riding on costa rica going through the other night and i got far too into the penalties meaning I couldn't get to sleep afterwards.
Gonna have another £100+ win relying on Belgium going through tonight if Argentina win as they should, it's gonna go to pens again i can feel it.

It's the being glued to 90 minutes of football and then after a brief hiatus (blood pressure just about returning to normal, quick change of pants and run to the offy to stock up on more drink) GO, it all starts again. getting all whipped into a frenzy for another ninety minutes, and then oh fuck, you're pleased but also a bit dismayed because it looks like it's going to be another 30 minutes and you think you're going to have an anuerysm, if only you hadn't peaked too early screaming at Holland, and now you've also run out of beer as wekll as steam, and you're wishing you'd not decided to get into your lovely cosy bed to watch the extra time because *puts matchsticks into eyes* ETC ETC.

I might watch blegium game from the boozer tonight as that's an entirely different matter.

I just sit on my sofa and placidly enjoy a bunch of matches where I have little immediate interest in the outcome.

This wasn’t the case at all in the Colombia Uruguay match on Saturday, of course. Went absolutely fucking ballistic when that Rodriguez smashed that volley in. Take that you bunch of complicit-in-defencing-a-monster cunts.

to be a lone striker charged with chasing down and holding the ball up responsbilities.
he is also a kid, and he has been playing in greece which is a relatively slow-paced league (i.e. the average kilometres of running done in 90 minutes is less than other leagues, and in this case less than the average for this world cup)

Lloris - 4 clean sheets from 5 for the inspirational captain. Is the glue that bonds this French side.

Bentaleb - Some tidy displays in midfield for an Algeria side that scored 7 goals in the tournament and surprising. Is the glue that bonds the Algerian side.

Vertonghen - Apart from giving away a penalty, has been solid as a rock, conceding just one goal in 270 minutes of football. Scored a sensational winner vs South Korea in a game in which he also captained this exciting Belgian side. Glue-like.

Chadli & Dembele - 3 wins out of 3 for the Belgian midfielders, games which were undoubtedly won in midfield.

Paulinho - Part of a Brazil side that has marched to the quarter finals practically unimpeded.

penalties should only be awarded for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity. Even if the foul wasnt in the penalty area. Red cards for professional fou + DoGSO. Any other fouls in the penalty area lead to an indirect freekick or short corner or something like in hockey.

Robben would be so fucked. Also it's generally much more fair, cheers.

Even though I put a fiver on him to be top scorer I think its a blessing that Sergio Aguero isn't fit today, he simply hasn't turned up in this tournament (probably just unfit) and Lavezzi looks a far more dangerous player at the moment.
3-1 Argentina... Stuck a tenner on it

1. Di Maria has been RANK, like the worst individual performance of the tournament so far. That attempted rabona... jeez...
2. Argentina haven't won a knock-out game at the World Cup inside 90 minutes in 24 years, apparently.

The keeper was standing outside the opposition penalty area trying to set up a goal at one point. His height, and overhead kick trick, are of no use from there. When the keeper lost possession, Di Maria had an open goal at the end for a long range effort.

I don't feel strongly either way (I don't give a shit if England players sing or don't sing the anthem). Just seems a bit odd, seeing as he potentially could come up against his own country which he played for and managed...

to merely 'hamstring' but many commentators and football fans? It is perfectly healthy and ordinary for a player to go off 'with a hamstring'. In fact, it is the contrary that would provide cause for concern.

Yedlin - Prom King
Howard - having a nice time
Bradley - Did not attend (no date)
Dempsey - standing outside in the rain staring intensely through a window, later goes home to write a sad/angry rap
Wondolowski - Did not attend (nerd)